Thoughts and Amusings

Hello blog shadowers (which is most of you) , friends and people who drop by

The Parachute 08 line up has been announced. Many people have commented on the lack of quality of the line up and I tend to agree visit here or here however as I grow in my Christian walk my problem lies at a much deeper issue than just the music. Here are my problems.

1) Israel Houghton is one of the headline artists. Now while I am not going to doubt that he has sold millions of albums and he has won some fantastic awards even in the mainstream my problem lies with the theology in the lyrics he is singing. As we have discussed at this blog before (well, some of us) Israel Houghton is the one who bought us Cover the earth, and also I am a friend of God. Houghton is on the worship team of Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church, Texas. While I am not one to say this makes one guilty of Osteens 'theology' *cough*, by association, I would think that if Houghton is serving in this way (as worship member) at Lakewood church it would mean he sees his theology as being able to line up with the church's.

2) Another one of our main headliners is a band called Jonzetta (yes that’s right they are a headliner). Now I will openly admit right here in front of you the blogging public that I am in no way perfect and sin all the time. I also come from the school that says all sin is equal. However I do find this following piece of footage from Jonzetta strange to say the least (the point in question is about 40 seconds in )

my point being are parachute looking for culturally relevant people? Is this what spacifix and so on were preparing us for? Is culturally relevant really the angle we want to take? Or am I just being a little too precious and should Christians start swearing more (because Jesus probably would have) ?

3) The music line up itself is debatable however if you want to discuss that go over here

As I have said before lyrics to worship songs need to be theologically sound. As this is unfortunately where many people get their theology from, as it is a known fact that even in evanglical circles Christians don't tend to do a heck of a lot of Bible reading. In knowing this fact, the song below just scares me with how theologically inept it is, despite the fact that the music to it is really good (which is one reason I think it is gaining popularity in church circles) .

In recent times there has started to be a trend for people to be positively critical of the sermons they hear , however this hasn't been carried along to music as much which is deeply concerning. Anyway now for the song in question, with my remarks in brackets.

Cover the earth

Let me be an instrument
To exalt and to extend
Jesus’ name globally (sounds okay so far, in fact I'm all for the first 3 lines)
As the waters cover the sea (whats this line about and how exactly does it relate??)
Open the heavens O Lord
And pour out Your Spirit

Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven (any ideas what the sound of heaven is)
Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven
Cover the earth

Let me speak what You say (which would be? .........)
Let the sound prepare the way (right, the sound)
Kingdom come globally
As the waters cover the sea (yes the waters, we can't forget the waters)
Open the heavens O Lord
Pour out Your Spirit

Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with Your glory
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven
All of the earth is Yours
All of the nations adore You (this is news to me, and the persecuted church)
Cover the earth with the sound of heaven (here comes the sound again, ...)
Cover the earth

Open up the heavenlies (what the heck are the heavenlies when they are at home)
Let a new sound be released (were we sick of the old sound and is sound different to the sound we were talking about before?)
As the waters cover the sea (can't forget the waters)
Cover the earth

I am currently listening to the new album from Sovereign Grace Music, in fact I have just ordered 2 copies direct from the mighty US of A.

The thing I love about Sovereign Grace Music, unlike say Hillsong, is that it is absolutely chocka full of theological truth about God, (read there is a lack of Jesus is my boyfriend lyrics)

The latest album In a little while by Mark and Steve Altrogge is absolutely marvellous

Go now! You can even listen to all the tracks in their entireity - if you click up on the right hand corner on 'sovereign grace radio' when your page loads. I reccommend 'At the cross' and 'Whatever my God Ordains'

Awesome, And you can download the sheet music for free.

A couple of lyric samples:

At the cross
At the cross we see Your mercy
Pouring forth in streams of blood
At the cross we see compassion
Flowing like a crimson flood
At the cross we see our Savior
And the beauty of His love, at the cross

How great, how glorious
Why should we ever wonder
If we’re hidden from Your eyes
You bought us with Your own blood
We can trust in Christ
And we will mount up like eagles
Held by Your mighty grace
Keeping our eyes on Jesus
The author of our faith

Made by, Martin Fazeli,

The clip speaks for itself really...

but I have been pondering this clip in conjunction with the lyrics of one of Tim Hughes' latest songs..

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

Acting humbly
Loving mercy
We must go, we must go
To the broken
And the hurting
We must go, we must go

What are you listening to? In the last few months I have been extensively listening to TobyMacs alatest album Portable Sounds. I was talking to someone the other day about how we have to really think about what we listen to this person was dearly believed that if they just threw away all of their 'non christian' CDs then the world would be a better place. I disagree. Not all Christan Music is good. Merely slapping the label Christian worship doesnt make it fantastic. In fact a great deal of it , including (hold your breath here people) some by Hillsong and even Chris Tomlin, is at least mindless chatter featuring mindless phrases or at worse just plain theologically wrong.

However I have been pondering in great detail the lyrics of this mighty fine song which in the last week in particular has really resonated with me.



Come as you are
Come just like you be
It's the bumps and curves of our history
But no block in the road that we can't traverse
And no wounds from the past that can't be nursed

All hate gonna to dissipate from our fate
No check, together we got a checkmate
All hate gonna dissipate and fade away
To make room for a brand new day we got

We got one world 'til its time to fly
So it's one love 'til we say goodbye
We got one world its enough to share
'Til we're called home and we're caught up in the air we got

One world
I'll look out for you, you look out for me
One world
Together we can be perfect harmony
One world
I'll look out for you, you look out for me
One world
And I'm a dedicate this song to everyone of God's children

One world oughta be more than enough
And if its not, is God looking in pure disgust?
Wondering what the dilly with the silly I see?
When I made each of these in the image of me
Everyday is a chance for a new stance
Like every song is the beginning of a new dance
And everyone of us was made to reflect the light
And glorify the most high so bright we got

You can come as you are
Love is yours
Love is ours
I am a witness
To sweet forgiveness
You will shine like a star
Burning bright where you are in our one world





'Come as you are' - Jesus doesn't call you to come as who you might be , who you were, or who hope to be. He asks you to come as you are but acknowledging what makes you and shapes you. This particularly resonated with me last night at a very moving baptism service. '



'When I made each of these in the image of me' - My God! I get so mad when I see myself and others discrimating against others because of some silly insecurity. In a larger sense my heart this week has been particularly torn and my spirit pressed to continute the Isaiah 60 call to serve his children , regardless of their earthly faults and difficultness because they are indeed made in the image of God.



The line above stands out most probably because of the line I have put in italics 'I am a witness, To sweet forgiveness.' Enough Said.

*sigh* This is where I am today. Dear God, to surrender to your will for this God Chick is flippin hard, but it is what you call me to do and when I do you , the Holy Spirit, are able to do your full work!

Rush of Fools - Fame Lyrics

v.1
I have tried to follow, I have tried to lead
I have failed at everything
I have been the culprit to my selfish needs, made everything but You my King

I couldn't be any less worthy
To spend one day much less forever with You

*Chorus 1*
I lift my hands just as I am, I'm letting go of false control
I lift my voice, I have no choice
My life is Yours, use me for Your fame, Your fame

v.2
I have not seen heaven, I haven't seen Your face
But I've seen Your Spirit move
And Jesus it's amazing the evidence of grace standing all around this room

I'm merely a product of mercy
The target and victim of Your perfect love

*Chorus 2*
I lift my hands just as I am, I'm letting go of false control
I lift my voice, I have no choice
My life is Yours, use me for Your fame, spreading like a flame

bridge:
Let every breath proclaim glory to Your name
You can't be contained and I'll never be the same

Music and lyrics by Tim Hughes and Brooke Fraser - to have a listen to a snippet enter in 'Clinging to the Cross' on itunes.


I want you to see the richness of these lyrics and their fullness. DON'T SKIM THEM READ THEM! I like many people think words are a very powerful tool. My particular pondering point over the last few months has been 'Out of the same mouth comes praise and hate filled words'... ( Have a look at James 3). I find the following words so beautiful as they remind us that even when we fail misreably at something we can always cling on to Jesus.

-----



CLINGING TO THE CROSS
My soul is weak
My heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope is found in You
I’ll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross

Even darkness is as light to You, my Lord
So light the way and lead me home
To that place where every tear is wiped away
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross

What a Saviour, what a story
You were crucified but now You are alive
So amazing, such a mystery
You were crucified but now You are alive

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross